Testing the Hypothesis - Part 1

Opportunity:  It is difficult for many athletes find or to make healthy meals that fit their nutritional needs during demanding training schedules.

Who:  Athletes (who want to eat healthy foods that will enhance their performance)

What:  They are unable to prepare fresh, healthy meals to fuel and recover from high physical activity

Why:  Challenges associated with busy schedules

Testing the Hypothesis:

Testing the who:  Others, including college students and professionals who work out on a regular basis, also have the need.  Many athletes share this problem, but their needs vary based on their preferences and goals (lean, maintain, gain)

Testing the what:  Not all meals are a challenge, I suppose dinner is the most difficult

Testing the why:  Various reasons would cause athletes to have difficulty preparing nutritious meals – lack of cooking knowledge, lack of time, and lack of effort required to make elaborate, healthy meals

Interviews:

#1:  40 something woman who works out every day – she has used meal delivery services in the past, but they have not met her dietary needs and did not offer enough variety.  She often finds difficulty meal planning different nutritious meals to feed herself and active family.

Revelations on the who:  

·       People who want to stay fit

·       Busy people

·       Some people want to stay lean, others want to maintain physique, and are trying to bulk up

Revelations on the what:

·       High protein is important

·       More carbs and healthy fats to enhance athletic performance

·       Snacks important too!  Perhaps smoothies/shakes as well

·       Need quick-to-prepare meals

Revelations on the why:

·       Preparing non-processed meals and snacks quickly can be a burden

·       Hectic schedules make it difficult to plan and make healthy meals (also going to the grocery store to get fresh produce all the time is tough)

#2:  Young vegetarian athlete who loves eating healthy and cooking, but usually doesn’t have the time to get fresh foods or cook them

Revelations on the who:  

·       Mostly single people and athletic couples

·       Vegetarians/vegans, especially - getting enough protein to recover from workouts is especially hard

Revelations on the what:

·       Max 15-20 minutes prep time for dinner

·       Alternative to frozen meals (advertised as healthy, but in reality super high in sodium, preservatives, and other bad stuff)

Revelations on the why:

·       Take the thinking out of eating healthy – can focus on training!

#3:  Athletic trainer in her late 30s, works with college athletes and works out everyday herself.

Revelations on the who:

·       Mostly 25-45yrs old

·       High activity, low time to meal prep

·       Cross-fit community

Revelations on the what:

·       Already prepared meals

·       If dinners – 4 times per week

·       OR a meal prep assortment for the entire week, lunches included (similar to what you may meal prep on your own, but already prepared and ready to go)

Revelations on the why:

·       Do not want to meal prep on own/do not make time

·       Don’t enjoy cooking, but want healthy meals

#4:  Dietician who works with college athletes

Revelations on the who:
·       College athletes who cannot get to the grocery store easily (no car, etc) or do not have full access to a full kitchen (ex: dorm, roommates)
·       Middle and high school athletes whose parents do not cook for them and don’t have cooking knowledge

Revelations on the what:

·       Time and convenience = priority

·       Already prepared/minimal cooking (maybe even just heat up in the microwave)

·       Whole grains, whole foods, produce, protein

·       Herbs and seasonings instead of heavy sauces

·       Tweak total calories and portions of carbs, proteins, and fats to meet a variety of nutritional needs

Revelations on the why:

·       Individual goals: starting position, power, quicker, leaner, parental/doctor/coaching pressures to eat healthy

#5:  Massage Therapist who works heavily with college athletes and lives an active lifestyle herself

Revelations on the who:

·       College students (mostly female athletes) extending to young professionals, especially those training for competition (ex: Cross Fit athletes, both male and female)

Revelations on the what:

·       Perhaps quick-to-grab lunches and dinners to prepare (but in a relatively easy, timely way)

·       A vegan/vegetarian option for sure

·       Perhaps options for double protein/double veggies to adjust for lean/gain goals

Revelations on the why:

·       Lacking skills, knowledge, and time to make delicious meals each day

Summary:

Based on my interviews, the unmet need revolves around not having enough time to make healthy meals fit for an athlete’s nutritional needs.  Meals need to be already prepared or very quick to cook in order to fuel athletes during demanding training regimens.  Meals and snacks also need to be high in lean (plant-based?) protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats to optimize nutrition and performance.  Ultimately, athletes want to focus on their training and worry less about finding, preparing, and eating healthy foods.